Compaction device



Feb. 8, 1966 L P, BREBNER 3,233,530

COMPACTION DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 8, 1966 J. P. BREBNER GOMPACTION DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1965 lll/@afar //L? ffrzer Feb. 8, 1966 J. P. BREBNER 3,233,530

coMPAcTIoN DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I lll/"fr l ll//hl/ /l United States Patent Oliee 3,233,530 Patented Feb. 8, 1966 3,233,530 COMPACTION DEVICE .lohn P. Brebner, 718 Randall Ave., De Pere, Wis. Filed Jan. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 249,973 3 Claims. (Cl. 94-50) This application is a continuation-in-part of my cepending application, Serial No. 149,759, iiled November 2, 1961 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a compaction device, and, more particularly, to a device particularly effective in compacting snow-as on ski slopes, and the like.

In compaction, it is desirable not only to increase the density of the material being subjected to a rolling action, but in many instances .it is equally desirable to smooth out high points or areas. Both objectives were imperfectly achieved by prior expedients such as those employing large air-lled tires. Additionally, marking lines appeared on the snow, stemming from the lines of demarcation between adjacent tires or from the conventional transverse slats in other compaction devices.

It is, therefore, a general object ot this invention to provide a novel compaction device and one which goes beyond the effectiveness characteristic of prior art devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel compaction device, advantageously applied to snow, which is essentially self-cleaning and resistant to snow build-up because of a novel kneading action inherent in the compaction device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel compaction device wherein the degree of compaction can be readily changed to accommodate the device to diiferent conditions of operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be -seen in the details of construction and operation set down in this specification.

The invention is described in conjunction with an illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which- FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the inventive device;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view such as would be seen along the sight line 2-2 as applied to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view such as would be Y seen along the sight line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but which illustrates the provision of a supplemental replaceable wear sleeve on the device;

FIGS. 5-9 are fragmentary elevational views, on reduced scale, showing the device represented essentially schematically in different operating environments;

FIG. is a perspective View of a modified form of the invention, showing the roller portions separate from the frame;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view, partially in section, of the modified form of the invention, the roller of which is seen in FG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective end view of the end plate provided in the construction of FIGS. 10 and 1l;

FlG. 13 is an enlarged end view, partially broken away, of the construction seen in FIGS. 10 and 1l;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of an end portion of the roller seen in FIGS. 10, 11 and 13;

FIG. l5 is a transverse sectional view of the roller of FIGS. 10, 1l, 13 and 14; and

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary sectional view of the portion of the roller encircled in FlG. and designated by the symbol A.

In the illustration given, the numeral 10 designates generally a frame suitable for attachment to a self-propelled vehicle. The frame 10 includes a drawbar 11 which may be equipped with a suitable hitch (not shown) for coupling to a complementary fitting on the rear of a tractor, or the like. Extending rearwardly (considering forwardly as the normal direction of movement of the device) are spaced-apart draft arms 12 which rotatably support a roller generally designated 13.

As shown, each arm 12 is apertured near its rear end for the receipt of an axle 14, and advantageously, the axle 14 may be equipped with a universal joint 15 at about its longitudinal center (see FIG. 2). Alternatively, the axle 1d may be omitted, employing stub axles fixed to the arms 12 on which the closures 16 may be rotatably mounted.

The axle 14 also supports a pair of wheels 16 which, in the illustration given, are fixed to the axle or shaft 14. The axle or shaft 1d is journaled within the arms 12 and maintained against longitudinal movement by means of cotter pins 17.

Fitted over the wheels 16 which serve essentially as end closures, is a flexible tubular sleeve 18. Optimally, the sleeve can be constructed of fabric-like materials, such as the synthetic polymers of nylon or dacron, or rubberized or plain canvas. The annular space within the casing or sleeve 18 and the axle 14 is lilled with variable weight sponge-like bulk cellular materials, and suitable for this purpose is shredded or blanket form padding, synthetic rubber, straw, wood sawdust, or shavings. It follows that the degree of loading and particle size will determine the degree of compaction.

ln certain instances, it may be advantageous to provide a replaceable supplemental sleeve, and this is designa-ted by the numeral 18a in FIG. 4.

The operation of the device is illustrated in a number of different environments in FIGS. 5-9, where dilferent contours of ground or snow are represented and seen to cause a corresponding distortion of the roller. Not-withstanding the distortion of theroller to accommodate itself to the general contour of the ground or snow, there is a suliicien-t resistance to deformation characteristic of the roller 13 which results in levelling localized small high spots.

It will be appreciated that a roller 13 constructed as specified herein is largely self-cleaning and resistant to snow build-up thereon due to the flexing or ykneading action it necessarily undergoes as it rolls. Further, the roller is capable of absorbing irregularities without sharp and rapid deflection, as in a rigid roller, making it capable of more rapid compaction speeds without damage to the roller or hitch mechanism. Still further, a bag-type compaction roller may be partially or completely filled with various other weight bulk materials to achieve either lesser or greater compaction for a given job.

As indicated above, the roller 13 may have a replaceable casing 18 or 18a, as the case may be. This may be especially advantageous where the material compacted is abrasive in nature, `since renewal of the wear surface is facilitated. In the illustration given, the fabric-like easing is essentially sausage-like in profile, the casing 'being equipped with constricted ends achievable through the use of drawstrings as at 20 (see FIG. 1). The constrioted ends bear up against the end closures 16, and thus it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that `an alternative arrangement includes journaling the axle 14 within the end closures 16 -while having the axle 14 fiixed within the load arms 12.

The low pressure pneumatic tires 16 are also advantageous in preventing pinching damage to the sleeve 18 when severe irregularities are encountered.

In snow, it is desirable to use a light roller to lightly press the snow into compact form. Additional weight is not often desirable, since too much weight causes the snow to be pushed ahead rather than rolled over for the desired results. If additional weight is required, the same is achievable through a modified form of the invention as seen in FIGS. and 11, wherein the interior of the roller yis equipped with ballast drums.

Referringnow to the second and third sheets of the drawing, and iirst to FIG. 11, the numeral 110 designates generally a frame for attachment to a self-propelled vehicle through a detachable hitch as at 111. The hitch 111 may be equipped with safety chains as at 112. For detachably securing the hitch 111 to the frame 1143, a plurality of bolt equipped brackets 113 are provided. Analogous to the showings on the first sheet is the provision of bearings 114 on the end or arm portions 115 of the frame 110. Rotatably supported Within the bearing-s 114 are stub axles or shafts 116 (see particularly FIG. 12). The axles 116 are provided as part of a roller assembly generally designated 117. Y

The roller assembly 117 in the illustration given in FIGS. 10-16 includes a plurality of thin-Walled drums arranged coaxially, the drums being seenin the brokenaway portion of FIG. 11 and being designated 118, 119 and 120.- The drums 118 `and 119 are Welded together end-to-end along the rims as at 121, while the drums 119 and 120 are Welded along the rims as at 122 (still referring to FIG. 1l). The elongated multi-drum core designated generally 123 in FIG. 11 and made up of drums 118-121) is relatively flexible and provides a desirable exing action much as the universal joint in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9.

For mounting the elongated drum assembly 123 within the frame 110, a pair of end plates 124 (see FIGS. 12 vand 14) are provided. Each end Iplate 124 is suitably welded to the end of its associated drum (118 in FIG. 14), and is equipped with an access open-ing y125 aligned with the bunghole 126 provided in the drum end Wall 127.

The Welded ends ofthe drums within the peripheral welds c 121 and 122 may be in communication so as to permit filling the drum assembly 123 with a suitable ballast to increase weight, if desired.

The plate 124 (as seen in FIG. 12) carries the stub axle 116 which is reinforced by suitable gussets as at 12S. The drum 124 also carries a lacing ring 129 disposed essentially parallel to and spaced from the plate 124 by means of rods 130. Thisring 129 provides the means for lacing the ends of a cover 131 in the manner seen in FIG. 13.

T o properly position the roller 117 within the frame 1111, each stub `axle 116 may be equipped with a cotter pin 132 (seen only in FIG. 11).l Y

Fitted over the drum assembly 123 and confining a foam-type filler 133 is a tubular sleeve 134. In the illustration given, the sleeve 134 is longitudinally laced as at 135 and, overlying the seam necessarily developed, the casing 134 is equipped with a sealing ap as at 136 (see FIGS. 15 and 16). The confronting longitudinal edges 137 and 138 (see FIGS. 11 and 16) are equipped with grommets or eyelets 139, through which a lacing 140 is threaded.

The ends of the casing 134 are equipped with circumferentially disposed eyelets as at 141 (see FIGS. 10 and 13), through which a lacing 142 is threaded for anchoring the casing ends to the lacing r-ing 129.

Advantageous prevention of side-slip may be achieved ythrough the use of rope belts 143 which extend circumferentially around the casing 134 at longitudinally spaced points on the roller 117. The rope belts 143 may .be stabilized in place by longitudinally-extending drawstrings 144 (see FIGS. 10, 13 and 15), which are anchored at each end to the lacing rings 129.

In the operation of the embodiment of the invention seen in FIGS. 10-16, the drums 118-120 may be partially or completely filled with a ballast material to increase the weight as desired, the drums being capable of flexing intrinsically, thereby enabling the roller to conform suiciently to hollows or humps in the terrain beingrcompacted.

In this connection, it will be appreciated that other exiblc tubular forms may be employed, such as metal mesh, sheetmetal tubes, lightweight steel pipes, etc.

As before, the casing or cover 134 is preferably constructed of a resilient fabric material so as to compres,- sively confine the resilient material 133. The lacings or drawstrings 1411 Iand 142 may be elastic or non-elastic, and the casing 134 may be suitably tensioned to adjust roller firmness through selectively and variably compressing the filler material 133 to the degree of tension applied to the lacings and 142. Also, it is preferred to provide the fabric `cover 134 of Waterproof construction for the prevention of moisture passing into the foam padding. Still further, best results are obtained when the filler 133 extends around the corners of the drums 118 and 120 as at 133g (see FIG. 14), so as to protect the roller core from damage and the cover 134 from pinching damage when hard objects are encountered.

In comparison with the conventional roller used for snow compaction, the inventive roller conforms to hollows and humps, giving uniform and smooth compaction, the Iinventive roller not bouncing at high speed but staying in contact with a slope to absorb irregularities therein.

As a specific example of the invention, the light weight of the roller 117 can be appreciated from the fact that a 12 foot width weighs only 650 pounds so as to pull evenly even in deep snow. In this specific example, the cover 134 may betconstructed of nylon fabric having a neoprene coating so as to be relatively unaffected by moisture, temperature, or oil, and if cut or punctured, can be quickly patched. The ller material 133 may take the form of polyurethane blanket material, which is relatively unaffected by moisture or temperature and cannot mold or rot. The lacings as at 140 and 142 are constructed of nylon, while the belts 143 are preferably constructed of manila rope. The belts 143 may take their described form, or that of square mesh (cargo net) construction Without affecting their purpose or function.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set down detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention for the purpose of illustrating the same, many variations in the details herein given may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A compaction device for grooming snow on ski slopes, comprising a frame adapted to lue-towed by a vehicle, said frame having two aligned, spaced-apart axle mounts, resilient and longitudinally exible elongated cylinder means equipped with axially outwardly-extending axles in the ends thereof and journaled in said mounts, a cylindrical layer of resilient material about said cylinder means, a fabric-like cover overlying said layer, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced belt means about said cover and extending annularly thereabout to prevent roller side-slip on hills.

2. A compaction device for grooming snow on ski slopes, comprising a frame adapted to be towed by a vehicle, said frame having two aligned, spaced-apart axle mounts, a plurality of thin-walled metal drums arranged in end-to-end relation to provide a resilient and longitudinally exible elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped with axially outwardly-extending axles in the ends thereof and journaled in said mounts, a cylindrical layer of resilient material about said cylinder means, a fabric-like cover overlying said layer, and a pluraltiy of longitudinally-spaced, annularly extending belt means about said cover to prevent roller side-slip on hills.

3. A compaction device for grooming snow on ski slopes, comprising a frame adapted to be towed by a vehicle, said frame having two aligned, spaced-apart axle mounts, a plurality of thin-walled metal drums arranged in end-to-end relation and weldably united to provide a generally resilient and longitudinally flexible elongated cylinder, said cylinder being equipped with axially outwardly-extending axles in the ends thereof and journaled in said mounts, a cylindrical layer of resilient material about said cylinder, a flexible cover overlying said layer, and a plurality of longitudinally-spaced, annularly-extending ropes about said cover to prevent roller side-slip on hills.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS McLaughlin 94-50 X Brogelli.

Doyle 94-50 Albee 94-50 X Roberts 94-50 X Neisler.

Swanson 94-50 X Lambe 152-313 Davis.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

15 JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 

1. A COMPACTION DEVICE FOR GROOMING SNOW ON SKI SLOPES, COMPRISING A FRAME ADAPTED TO BE TOWED BY A VEHICLE, SAID FRAME HAVING TWO ALIGNED, SPACED-APART AXLE MOUNTS, RESILIENT AND LONGITUDINALLY FLEXIBLE ELONGATED CYLINDER MEANS EQUIPPED WITH AXIALLY OUTWARDLY-EXTENDING AXLES IN THE ENDS THEREOF AND JOURNALED IN SAID MOUNTS, A CYLINDRICAL LAYER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL ABOUT SAID CYLINDER MEANS, A FABRIC-LIKE COVER OVERLYING SAID LAYER, AND A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED BELT MEANS ABOUT SAID COVER AND EXTENDING ANNULARLY THEREABOUT TO PREVENT ROLLER SIDE-SLIP ON HILLS. 